Three people. One erotic fantasy. And a twentieth wedding anniversary like no other.

Jeannie yearns for the return of passion in her marriage. Jake craves new excitement in the form of another man. Pothos is one of the erotes, an aspect of Eros, the ancient Greek god of love, and this couple’s distinctive yearning has called to him. By the power of the erotes he intends to rekindle the flame of Jeannie and Jake’s passion in a night of desire that will be the ultimate platinum anniversary gift.

And when the gods of love decide your marriage needs a boost, they never do it by halves.

Platinum Passion is the first in my series of stand-alone novellas with the erotes as a common theme. So who are the erotes? Pothos – the god of sexual yearning, Himeros – the god of sexual desire, and Anteros – the god of unrequited/requited love. There are many versions of mythology surrounding the erotes, but the one that resonates best with me is that they were aspects of the primal god, Eros.

While I applaud the greatness of Eros, I also love the idea that his power, and therefore that of the erotes, stems primarily from a woman, the Greek goddess Aphrodite, born of the sea. She is purported to be the mother of the erotes, and her influence will be evident throughout the Gods of Love series.

4 hearts The Romance Studio: "Seducing Serena" by Jennifer Lynne is an absolute love story that will capture your interest. Serena is seeking a new boyfriend by placing a personal ad. Nick responds to the ad as part of his research. The highs and lows of a new romance for people with baggage explodes in this wonderfully sexy and melt your heart story. Many twists and turns keep you wondering if this couple can get it right."

Jen was introduced to romance at around the age of 12 by Mary Stewart's Nine Coaches Waiting and the dark, mysterious hero, Raoul. She has a degree in literature & media studies and has worked as a business writer and journalist for govt departments and companies both large and small. She has even worked in an optical store! These days Jen is a mum of two who works by day in admin and at night writes erotic romance from her home in Melbourne, Australia. She lives in hope that readers will continue to enjoy her novella-length stories of love and lust!
Find Jennifer on the internet at:Website/blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

An Interview with Jennifer Lynne
By Megan Garbe for The Romance Studio

MG: Jennifer, thank you for talking with us at TRS! Your featured book is Platinum Passion and it is part of a series of stand alone books you're putting together with a common theme. What can you tell us about this?

JL:Thank you for having me! Platinum Passion is the first novella in a new series called Gods of Love, about a group of ancient Greek gods known as the erotes, and their interactions with people in modern day society. I wanted each story in the series to be able to stand alone, but to be united with a common theme. There are many different versions of the erotes myth, but the one that resonated best with me was the belief that these gods are aspects of the primal god of desire, Eros. The idea that "desire" is so large a concept it can only be personified across several beings, is very appealing to me as an erotic romance writer! While I applaud the greatness of Eros, I also love the idea that his power, and therefore that of the erotes, stems primarily from a woman, the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She is purported to be the mother of the erotes, and her subtle influence will be evident throughout the Gods of Loveseries. The erotes include Pothos – god of sexual yearning, Himeros – god of sexual desire and Anteros – god of requited/unrequited love.

MG: What can you tell us about Platinum Passion and how it fits into the series?

JL: Platinum Passion is the first novella in this series, and centres around Pothos, god of sexual yearning. Here's the blurb for Platinum Passion:

Three people. One erotic fantasy. And a twentieth wedding anniversary like no other. Jeannie yearns for the return of passion in her marriage. Jake craves new excitement in the form of another man in a way that will not upset the balance of his marriage nor his undying love for his wife. Pothos, the god of sexual yearning, is one of the erotes and an aspect of Eros, the Olympian god of desire. On the last night of winter this couple's distinctive yearning has called to Pothos, and by the power of the erotes, he intends to rekindle the flame of Jake and Jeannie’s passion in a night of desire that will be the ultimate platinum anniversary gift. And when the gods of love decide your marriage needs a boost, they never do it by halves.

MG: What can you tell us about Jeannie and why will readers relate to her?

JL: Jeannie is a woman who has been married to her childhood sweetheart for twenty years and still loves him dearly but, like many of us (me included!), she and her husband are caught up in the daily grind of life, work and the demands of a family. The spark of passion in her life has fallen by the wayside. I see her as an ordinary woman who has been thrust into an extraordinary circumstance in which an ancient god offers to reignite the passion in her marriage. Jeannie wears glasses, she has cellulite, and yep, she gets tired and cranky. But in the extraordinary circumstance in which she finds herself, Jeannie's sense of humor and her courage in embracing her own desires and those of her husband, come to the fore. She is not a kick-ass heroine, but she has an inner strength that will hopefully strike a familiar chord in readers.

MG: What can you tell us about Jake and Pothos and why will readers love them?

JL: I think (hope) readers will love Jake and Pothos for very different reasons. Like Jeannie, I wanted Jake to be someone we might recognise in our own life. Jake is a dedicated family man who knows he has met his soul mate in Jeannie. But in trying to set up and run his own business in these difficult economic times, he has put less effort into his marriage and as a result, life has lost its spark. Like most of us, he has secret cravings, but the reason I personally like Jake so much is because he doesn't want to give in to those cravings unless his wife can be a part of them.

Pothos…well! Pothos is a gorgeous Greek god, an Adonis who is the personification of everything Jake and Jeannie desire. Imagine young, tall, dark hair, piercing sea-green eyes, tanned skin and muscles to die for. Hmm. Yet in addition to his perfect looks, he also has a sense of humor, as well as a vulnerability at times – especially when Jeannie teases him – and despite being ancient and a god of desire, he is still open to being taught the meaning of love. Character growth in a god? Yes, it is possible, and I hope that readers will love him for it.

MG: What else do you have in store for lucky readers?

JL: In the Gods of Love series, I'm working on Aphrodite Calling (#2), about Himeros – god of sexual desire, and the third novella in the series is tentatively called Sex Club Secrets. It is about Anteros – god of requited/unrequited love. He's proving a real handful and rather colorful, I must say! I'm also working on an erotic fairy tale idea based on the story about the princess and the pea (a "princess" with over-sensitive skin? Perfect fodder for an erotic romance author!). But my next release will be Educating Ethan, a sensual older woman/younger man story with a tentative release date from Breathless Press of Feb 24th.

MG: What's a day in the life of Jennifer Lynne like?

JL:I wish I could say I have a daily writing routine, but that just isn't the case. I'm a partner, mum of two teenagers, stepmum of two young adults, and I have a part-time day job in admin. Writing has to fit in around all of my other duties. I've also had a few health setbacks this past year –breast lump (benign), minor stomach surgery, blood clot in my hand and shoulder surgery for a torn tendon. With the latter I had four months off work and spent a lot of that time in a sling, and in fact wrote Platinum Passion and my upcoming release, Educating Ethan, with my left hand only. Very slowly! So "typical day" is not a phrase I'm familiar with!

I have discovered, particularly in recent months, that I need to write in order to be fulfilled as a person. As corny as that may sound, it is the truth. So, no matter what life throws at me in 2012 in relation to family, job or health, I intend to make the time to write – every day if I can. It is too important to relegate to the bottom of the priority list!

MG: What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

JL: I love the times when the creativity is flowing and you can't type fast enough to keep up with the ideas pouring out of your head. That is a wonderful feeling. Especially if you read it back at the end of a writing session and it actually sounds pretty good. Those moments are priceless! I also love getting feedback from readers, especially when they really like or connect with something you've written. That makes all the hard slog worthwhile. And by hard slog, I mean all those days when the writing doesn't flow. When you sit there with a blank screen and a blank mind and think you might be kidding yourself that you can be a "real writer". If there is even one reader who gets your story and its message, then that's what it is all about.

MG: What are you reading at the moment?

JL: Right now I'm reading Eragon at the request of my stepdaughter, who loved that series. I've also got Lindsay Buroker's The Emperor's Edge waiting for me on my Kindle. I haven't read any of her work before but my sister – a prolific reader – is raving about her books, so I just have to try one! I'm also about to read Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn, one of my favorite series.

MG: What is one of your all time favorite books?

JL: That's so hard. I can't pick one! The first romance I ever read was Mary Stewart's Nine Coaches Waiting, so that definitely had an impact. I read and enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy years before they made the movies, and I have vague memories of loving Gone With the Wind as a teenager. I love Ian Rankin's Rebus series (he assumes the reader has a brain, as does Reginald Hill, and I thank them for that!). My current favorite authors are Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin and Charlaine Harris, but in terms of an all time favorite…I can't! There are just too many books to choose from!

MG: Any goals you've set for yourself this year?

JL: Yes! In terms of my writing, I intend to finish and publish Gods of Love #2 and #3, as well as finish and submit my erotic fairy tale – hopefully to Breathless Press. On a more personal note, I want to relax and enjoy life more with my family. Four months stuck at home in a sling during 2011 (I couldn't even butter my own toast!) crystallized certain things for me – prioritise what is important, and worry about the rest later!